Bryanna Blanco
Bryanna Blanco is a financial journalist for the Federal Times. Her reporting has focused on the exploits of billionaire Zachary Rackham, the owner and CEO of Rackham Capital Investments, who is reputed to have made his fortune through piracy. Timeline 20 APR 3305 *Taja Gavaris, the CFO of Rackham Capital Investments, has unexpectedly resigned from her position and subsequently emigrated from Federal space. Several other employees who were loyal to Gavaris resigned alongside her. All chose to waive their final salaries and bonuses, which totalled approximately 365 million credits according to sources within the company. Journalist Bryanna Blanco commented in The Federal Times: "It has become apparent that the Federal Intelligence Agents who acquired our data on Zachary Rackham were in fact imposters working for him, employing fake credentials. With our research, Rackham would be capable of blackmailing fellow ex-pirate Taja Gavaris into resigning – the corporate equivalent of assassinating a rival. Naturally, we cannot prove this is what has occurred. But rest assured that we'll continue keeping a close eye on Calico Zack." The Federal Times also confirmed that a donation of 36.5 million credits has been received from Rackham Capital Investments, "in recognition of the organisation's dedication to ethical journalism".GalNet: Taja Gavaris Resigns as Rackham CFO 12 APR 3305 *The Federal Intelligence Agency has denied that it is conducting a criminal investigation of Rackham Capital Investments. A spokesperson for the FIA gave the following statement: "Contrary to recent statements by the journalist Bryanna Blanco, we did not contact her seeking to obtain documentation, and are not running any investigation. There is no evidence of criminality within Rackham Capital Investments. Our agency has received charitable donations from that organisation in the past, and Mr Rackham himself is a long-standing member of the FIA Civilian Oversight Board. Such a relationship would not be possible if we had any doubts about the integrity of Mr Rackham's business dealings." Bryanna Blanco published a response in The Federal Times: "If this is true, then who were the FIA agents that visited our offices? I spoke to them personally and asked to see their credentials. Who has obtained our data regarding the criminal histories of Zachary Rackham and many others?"GalNet: Rackham Investigation Ruled Out 04 APR 3305 *The Federal Times has been asked to assist with a criminal investigation into Rackham Capital Investments. Journalist Bryanna Blanco reported on the details: "Operatives from the Federal Intelligence Agency have contacted our offices regarding the recent deaths at Zachary Rackham's company. We are cooperating with their inquiry and have agreed to share all relevant documentation. The Federal Times has been monitoring the suspicious activities of 'Calico Zack' for years, so we're relieved that the authorities are at last taking these allegations seriously. Our discoveries about Taja Gavaris – who seems to be clearing the path up the corporate ladder by any means necessary – are of particular concern. We expect Rackham, Gavaris and many other ex-pirates masquerading as businessmen to answer all charges brought against them."GalNet: Rackham Under Investigation 29 MAR 3305 *The head of personnel at Rackham Capital Investments has died in an accident, becoming the second senior-level employee to have died in recent weeks. Journalist Bryanna Blanco commented in The Federal Times: "Senior executive Derrin O'Shea was killed when his personal limousine malfunctioned and crashed. The incident has not been ruled as suspicious. O'Shea's position was filled within hours by a supporter of Taja Gavaris, however. Gavaris herself inherited the CFO role in a similar fashion following her predecessor's recent death. With two close allies gone, CEO Zachary Rackham must feel under threat. This corporate power struggle increasingly resembles two pirate captains fighting to become overall leader. The authorities have again declined to begin a formal investigations into Gavaris and Rackham, claiming a lack of evidence. How many more casualties must occur before this conflict is taken seriously?"GalNet: Second Fatality in Rackham Conflict 23 MAR 3305 *Taja Gavaris, the new CFO of Rackham Capital Investments, has been accused of having a criminal background as a pirate leader. Journalist Bryanna Blanco made this declaration in The Federal Times: "During my reporting on multi-billionaire Zachary Rackham, I have become convinced that he and many others employed by Rackham Capital Investments were once pirates, who laundered their stolen money and moved into legitimate business. New research has proved that Taja Gavaris was once a criminal rival of Rackham. I believe that Gavaris used her knowledge of Rackham's past to blackmail her way into his organisation, and is now challenging for ownership by eliminating his loyal supporters. The Federal Times has published many similar revelations about 'Calico Zack' over the years, yet no criminal investigation has been established. Perhaps this time the authorities will investigate before Gavaris's vendetta escalates further, potentially endangering civilian lives."GalNet: Pirate History of Taja Gavaris Unveiled 18 OCT 3304 *Billionaire businessman Zachary Rackham has been targeted by a highly sophisticated hack that successfully withdrew 1 billion credits from his personal account. A spokesperson for Rackham Capital Investments informed shareholders: "We have reported the theft to the authorities, and are reviewing our computer security systems. The only clue as to the criminals' identity is a message they left encoded in Mr. Rackham's account: 'The Collective plays to win.'" Financial journalist Bryanna Blanco commented in The Federal Times: "The purpose of the hack was evidently to reclaim the billion-credit prize that Rackham 'won' in the Federal Grand Lottery. What Rackham Capital Investments didn’t reveal was that the money was redistributed equally among several hundred of the company’s former employees, who were denied their company pensions years ago. There is a sweet irony to the old pirate Calico Zack having his money stolen by cyber pirates. Whoever the Collective might be, they seem to have both a sense of justice and a sense of humour."GalNet: Rackham Hacked 16 AUG 3304 *Renowned billionaire Zachary Rackham, owner of Rackham Capital Investments, has been confirmed as the winner of a lottery prize of one billion credits. Tori Theopolis, a spokesperson for the Federal Grand Lottery, announced: "Our annual galactic jackpot has been claimed and the winning ticket verified. Our congratulations to Mr Rackham – we hope he enjoys his billion-credit prize." Zachary Rackham, known in some circles as 'Calico Zack', told the media: "To be honest, this caught me by surprise. I only buy lottery tickets out of habit, a holdover from the days when I used to rattle around space in a rusty old Sidewinder. Naturally I'll be donating this windfall to various charitable programmes." The Federal Times published this observation from financial journalist Bryanna Blanco: "It's highly suspicious that a billionaire should play the lottery, and even more suspicious that he should win it. I'm sure that Calico Zack's accountants will indeed put this money to good use – paying the gargantuan bill for unpaid taxes recently submitted to his company. Once a pirate, always a pirate."GalNet: Billionaire Wins Lottery 20 JUN 3304 *Renowned billionaire Zachary Rackham, owner of Rackham Capital Investments, has made a sizeable charitable donation to build new shipyards in the Colonia region. Mr Rackham, known in some circles as 'Calico Zack', made this statement: "If there's one thing I remember from flying around the galaxy in a second-hand Sidewinder with a leaky life-support module and only fifty credits in my pocket, it's the thrill of exploration. And Colonia is the embodiment of that spirit, the farthest-flung outpost of civilisation. That's why I want to support it by funding the development of new shipyards. Every planetary port in the region, bar Colonia Hub, will soon be able to offer pilots the support services they need. It's my way of celebrating a youth filled with poverty and danger, by giving a boost to the next generation of explorers." Bryanna Blanco, a financial journalist for The Federal Times, also published a statement: Obviously this is tremendous news for Colonia and all those operating within the region. The timing of Rackham's donation is curious, however, coming as it does shortly before a company-wide audit. Having such a colossal sum placed beyond the reach of tax officials will certainly help that old pirate – and his crew of accountants – sleep better at night."GalNet: Investor Funds Colonia Shipyards References